

Founded in 2007 by Ichiro Akuto, grandson of the founder of the Hanyu distillery, Chichibu has been in operation since February 2008. Comprising two stills made to order in Scotland by Forsyth's, it is not only the first Japanese single malt distillery since Hakushu, but also the smallest and most confidential. Starting with a number of very young whisky vintages in 2008, the "newborn" range, Ichiro has been offering its first "real" whisky, a three-year-old brut de fût, since Whisky Live Paris 2011. Today, the distillery bottles its own whiskies up to 12 years old for its Chichibu and Ichiro's Malt ranges. The distillery also houses the latest stocks of Karuizawa, Kawasaki and Hanyu.